The Loved and the Lost

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Sometimes the fury of persecution would be suspended for a little time, and the fugitives issued forth and revisited their deserted homes. But soon the enemy raged again, and they would fly precipitately to their favorite refuge, taking provisions, clothing, lamps and other necessaries to cheer their dismal imprisonment. Living there together, it was natural that they should also wish to be buried there'where their bones might lie in one common resting place'un- contaminated by the presence of Pagan bodies, and safe from the desecrating hand of their enemies'to rise together in harmonious brotherhood at the resurrection day. And thus for three hundred years the Christian population of Rome found refuge and burial within the catacombs. The cemetery of Pere La Chaise, in Paris, is one of the most beautiful in the world. It lies on the slope of a hill, extending from Belville to Cha- ronne on the north east of Paris. The ground, celebrated as long ago as the 14th century for the picturesque beauty of its situation, was the residenceof Plre La Chaise, under Louis XIV., the country house of the Jesuits for 150 years; and is now the principal burying place of the French capital. It derives its name from Pere La Chaise, the confessor of Louis XIV., who appointed him superior of the Jesuitical establishment then holding possession of Pere La Chaise which was known at that day as Mount Louis. The cemetery was consecrated in the beginning of 1804. It consisted of forty-two acres at that time. Its present extent is nearly one hundred acres, which is entirely surrounded by walls. The ground is diversified by hills and vales, and commands many fine views of the great city of Paris, stretching away in splendid perspective beneath it. The territory is laid out with smooth wide paths, ge...